Sunday, May 10, 2009

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Micropayments For Wall Street Journal Website Planned By News Corp. Top
News Corp (NWSA.O) is planning to introduce "micro payments" for individual articles and premium subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal's website, WSJ Managing Editor Robert Thomson said on Sunday. More on Wall Street Journal
 
Gene Randall, Ex-Reporter, Hired By Chevron To Counter "60 Minutes" Report On Pollution Top
What did Chevron do when it learned that "60 Minutes" was preparing a potentially damaging report about oil company contamination of the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador? It hired a former journalist to produce a mirror image of the report, from the corporation's point of view.
 
Sharon Glassman: Why Can't Women Sleep? Part II: How to Sleep Well on Sunday Night (or any night) Top
For women with sleep issues (and with apologies to Frank Sinatra ), Sunday night is the loneliest night of the week . We toss, turn and worry in the wee small hours of the morning while EZ-sleepers move through their REM stages. What time is it? What's going to happen with that major (fill in the blank here)? And most of all, Why the )@&%(! am I not sleeping? Sunday night hits problem sleepers hard for a good reason. You may not like the solution to the problem, initially. But I'm going to tell you anyway. "You think you have insomnia, but you just have bad habits," says Carol Ash, DO , medical director for Sleep for Life , which runs two private sleep centers in New Jersey. The key to good sleep, she insists, is getting the right amount of sleep at the right time for your body. The average human adult requires seven to nine uninterrupted hours of sleep per night. The effects of short-cutting that number aren't pretty. As a long-term periodic non-sleeper, I greeted this news with a "Yes, and?" I had warned Dr. Ash that I wasn't up for reviewing the old rules of sleep. I mean, didn't we know them already? Darken your room. Cool your room. Don't snort espresso or watch Silence of the Lambs at bedtime. The traditional Do's of Don't of sleep hygiene reminded me of the sticker on the rug scrubber I'd rented a few weeks ago: "Do not use electric vacuum in the rain." This turned out to be a fitting comparison. Unregulated sleeping can be as shocking to one's system as driving an electro-vac in the rain. "Fifty years ago it was considered normal to drink and drive," Dr. Ash says. "Doctors smoked in hospitals." Insufficient and improper sleep is our generation's version of a trendy yet unhealthful practice, she believes. "Sleep will overtake you if you haven't had enough," she notes, using the plane-on-runway-populated-by-sleeping-passengers scenario as an example. "It's like oxygen. You can't change the need." After 18 hours of consecutive wakefulness, the body goes into a state of shock. This shock, which impacts body and mind, is known as "sleep debt." And the debt can be achieved over time. A sleep debtor has the same mental and physical reaction times of a person with a .08 alcohol level. We can also experience the same muscle pain as someone with fibromyalgia, a sensation that adds injury to injury. Sleep debt accumulates faster than a finance charge on a revolving credit card. Let's say your body requires eight hours of sleep and you log five hours one night, six the next and seven the next. Before you can say, "Wowza, why do I feel so bad?" you've amassed a sleep debt of 30%, which is, in turn, accumulating negative interest. Some of the side-effects of sleep debt include a loss innovative thinking. And loss of optimism. And a loss of...um...what was I saying? It is logical to think that sleeping a lot on the weekend could make up for the sleep we lose during the week. But it doesn't. Ash likens the idea of making up for lost sleep to brushing your teeth five times as long on Saturday to make up for not brushing them during the rest of the week. It will get rid of last night's tiredness, but won't address the bad nights before. Sleeping at different times also messes up your SCN, your "suprachiasmatic nucleus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suprachiasmatic_nucleus ." The SCN is a light meter located in your brain. Its function is to kick-start your body clock (or circadian rhythm) the instant it detects light. It was designed in a time way before electricity, and its operating system reflects its origins. If you glimpse first light at 6 am and your body needs eight hours of sleep to feel truly rested, your SCN sets your body's time sleep-time at 10 pm. But if your correct wake-up time is 6 am and your SCN registers any kind of first light (TV, street-, computer-, alarm clock) at 1 or 3 am, it sets your sleep-time to that start-time. Your circadian rhythm starts to clash with your light-meter. You fall out of sync with yourself. And you feel awful. Thanks to your SCN's insistence on regularity, a weekend of longer sleeps is really a prescription for more nights of bad sleep. Which leads to the Sunday night up-all-nights: your body clock is set to crash much later than you are. This is the point where I discuss sleep hygiene. Instead of running on empty during the week and binge-sleeping through the weekend, or trying to compensate for sleepless nights by sleeping in, Dr. Ash asks women with problem sleep to commit to waking up at the same for thirty consecutive days. This is enough time to identify where on the seven to nine hours a night spectrum we are and train the body to work on that schedule. In the meantime, yes, life could be sucky. But there are ways to work with this, too. To counter daytime sleepiness, Dr. Ash prescribes 20 minutes of direct sunlight - a prescription one can heed during the workweek by packing a happy trail mix and walking/eating one's lunch outdoors. If we must nap during the day, we should make it a 20-40 minute nap between the hours of three-five pm. As for work and sleep? CEOs who want to promote sleep health might consider hosting pajama parties - real or actual - in which employees are taught the fundamentals of good sleep - and reassured that sleeping well is the starting point for success and innovation. Sleep-robbing stress can stem from places other than work. But these can - and should - be dealt with, too. If we're tressed about finance, Ask says, it's time to seek help with your finances. Stressed about stress? Seek help from a counselor. Barring physical maladies of which sleeplessness is a symptom, women with sleep problems should be on the way to finding sleep answers--and ending the Sunday night up-all-nights - within a month. Which leaves Sunday night wide open for the companionable company of good REM and zzz's. More on Health
 
Dr. Mehmet Oz: What I Learned on The Oprah Show Top
After five years and 55 episodes, my time as a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show comes to an end this Tuesday, May 12. When I walked onto the stage for this episode, it was the first time in my five years on the show that I had absolutely no idea what awaited me - no show rundown, no script and no pre-interviews. Even though the producers often share even the most minute details when we're doing a show, this time their lips were sealed. The episode is called "The Best of Dr. Oz," but in all reality, the hour is about people who've found the best in themselves. During the taping, I was moved and flattered by a huge wall full of faces, all of whom reported that their lives were somehow saved by knowledge gained through the show. In fact, these wonderful individuals had altered the course of their own lives because they acted on information that we happened to provide on the "Oprah" show. I have spent a solid chunk of my adult life trying to concoct the "secret sauce" that takes people from knowing basic facts about their health to obtaining a deeper awareness of why this information matters and taking action to improve their well-being. This is the place where motivation lies, deeply hidden in our psyche. I embarked on this journey when Oprah and her team saw some promise in a series of shows my wife Lisa and I created for the Discovery Health Channel entitled "Second Opinion" in 2003. In fact, Oprah was my first guest on the program. At the time, I was completely consumed with sharing the medical school experience that converts laymen into doctors. After all, if dunking someone in health information makes him/her an expert in school, why wouldn't it work elsewhere? But something happened along the way that convinced me that I had this all wrong. Like most doctors, the extent of my training in human behavior was somewhat limited. If we felt our patients needed to behave in a particular way - say losing weight - our job was to educate them on the perils of obesity. Our reasoning was simple: once understood, the cold, hard facts would be sufficient incentive for any rational human to change their behavior. And, if that didn't work, we dug our heels in and repackaged the facts to further underscore the urgent need for action. This tactic became affectionately known as a "wake up call." What most doctors hadn't counted on was that their wake up calls would be blocked by Caller ID. Even when we made a connection, our call was quickly put on a kind of permanent hold. As physicians, our knee-jerk reaction was 'don't they get it?', or 'how can they ignore the facts?' My wake up call, the one I finally answered, was to realize that information, in the traditional sense, is not the essential prerequisite for action. The processing of information is simply too slow to be useful. A real creature in a real-world environment does not have the luxury of analysis. Instead, we rely on emotion and feelings to guide action. People often form a judgment about something by subconsciously asking "How do I feel about this?" So, as I turned those Discovery programs into our best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" book series with my writing partner, Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Dr. Michael Roizen, we saw how abstract health information, without an emotional connection, paralyzes many readers. Sour and dire "gloom and doom" information doesn't exactly bring you back begging for more. Rather, actions are only reinforced if they stimulate the dopamine jackpot of the brain. This is what love, drugs and other addictions do so perfectly, so we return for more without urging (and sometimes, despite great risk). So the real question we needed to ask the audience is "How does this information make you feel?" And if 80% of change is emotional, then connecting is more important than informing. Many physicians, including myself, sometimes forget this lesson as we innocently bludgeon doctor-patient relationships. This is where the Oprah show magic boosted us into the motivational orbit viewers need. We aimed for the transformation trifecta: tell folks what to do for their health (which is what most health advisors and the news does), explain the science so they really understand the advice, and convince them why it should matter to them. For example, we did shows on cigarette addictions and explained that they are bad for you - it's no surprise that didn't turn many heads. Then comes the step where most docs, nurses, and loved ones insult the smoker for not quitting. But this only further diminishes the already low esteem of someone upset with himself for still smoking in the first place. Instead, Oprah offered the insight that we were doing the show because we care about you. And all we want is for you to love yourself as much as we do. In fact, what I learned most poignantly on the Oprah show was that I did not need to fix everything, especially difficult for a doctor. What many people really crave is to be heard and validated. Then we can disrupt their beliefs as we break their patterns on our way to helping out. Many of the guests knew the path better than me. Their health hardships had cracked them open so they were able to receive inspiration and insights which they kindly shared with us. These wonderful people like Randy Pausch, Michael J. Fox, Montel Williams and hundreds more whose names you would not recognize emphasized that we're judged by how we take care of each other. That's the most important message I will carry into "The Dr. Oz Show" which starts on Monday, September 14. It's the lesson that would make Professor Winfrey proudest as she graduates another student. Dr. Oz's farewell appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airs Tuesday. Check your local listings for time and channel. More on Wellness
 
Fern Siegel: Stage Door: Happiness, Accent on Youth, 9 to 5 Top
For New Yorkers, getting stuck in the subway is a familiar scenario. A train halts, an incoherent voice blares over the tinny loudspeaker, and we wait - usually with a slight panic. In Happiness , nine New Yorkers get stuck in the morning rush - but when the train stalls, a more existential moment awaits. Before the ensemble in the Susan Stroman-directed musical can move, they have to recall - and the show will re-enact - a perfect moment in their lives. Take note: This isn't a feel-good funfest; the stakes are high. Guess wrong and like Sisyphus and his rock, you're doomed to repeat the same trip over and over. Those making the journey crisscross class, race and politics: a right-wing radio shock jock (Joanna Gleason), an interior decorator (Ken Page), a high-powered lawyer (Sebastian Arcelus), intermarried interns, (Robert Petkoff and Pearl Sun), a doorman (Fred Applegate), a chic woman (Jenny Powers), a senior citizen (Phyllis Somerville) and a bike messenger (Miguel Cervantes). They are guided by a no-nonsense conductor (Hunter Foster). Now at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Happiness has a jazzy score and clever lyrics, thanks to composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie, who also did Grey Gardens . They have a gift for understanding the subtle contradictions in people and exposing the vulnerability beneath a polished exterior. It's also one of the few musicals this season not based on a movie, which is hugely refreshing. Book writer John Weidman has captured a recognizable microcosm of New York during our intermission-free ride of self-exploration. Stroman has expertly directed her solid cast. Each actor serves his or her character well. The theme may be familiar, but it's still memorable and poignant. Audiences will be discussing Happiness long after they leave the theater. By contrast, Accent on Youth , a tart valentine to the Great White Way, is being revived at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater. When it debuted in 1934, Samson Raphaelson's screwball comedy was probably a welcomed respite for Depression-weary audiences, thanks to his glam Sutton Place setting and witty one-liners. His colorful jabs at producers and actors still ring true, though it would have been cozier to stage off-Broadway. It opens with David Hyde Pierce, who made his name in Frasier and scored a Tony in Curtains , as Steven, a 52-year-old playwright spinning a tale about a 60something playwright who falls for a woman half his age. What sounded risqué 75 years ago is conventional now - especially in a city where money and power are the ultimate date bait. What hasn't changed is Raphaelson's gift for zingers and an amusing storyline, complete with classic Thirties characters: a stand-up manservant (Charles Kimbrough), an inebriated actor (Bryon Jennings), a matinee idol (David Furr) and a former flame (Rosie Benton). When Stephen's secretary (Mary Catherine Garrison) reveals her feelings for him, the play-within-the play, and its weary-world musings begin. Accent on Youth , a lighthearted romp, has its moments, just not enough. Neither does 9 to 5 at the Marquis Theater. It's a retread of the 1980 film co-starring Dolly Parton, who has written the show's lyrics and music. In fairness, the entertaining leads, Allison Janney of West Wing , Stephanie J. Block and Megan Hilty, the "backwoods Barbie in a push-up bra and heels," click. The trio embrace their roles in a tourist-ready show that's fun, but dated. True, the musical nicely captures the sexism and sexual harassment commonplace in past decades, but the revenge fantasy of killing a misogynistic boss (played by Marc Kudisch with relish) seemed more relevant in the 1960s and 1970s. Sexism certainly hasn't disappeared; but these days, we fantasize about roasting investment bankers over an open flame. Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography keeps the action moving; it's serviceable rather than eye-popping; similarly, Parton's songs are jaunty but unmemorable. A small comic turn by Kathy Fitzgerald as the boss' besotted office manager is a standout. The accomplished leads do their best with thin fare, but 9 to 5 should have stayed on screen.
 
Obama And Industry Groups To Propose $2 Trillion In Health Care Savings Top
In conjunction with the White House, a host of trade associations, pharmaceutical groups and other stakeholders in the health care debate are set to announce a major effort to streamline the nation's health care system that could save more than $2 trillion over the next decade. On Monday representatives of the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association; PhRMA; AdvaMed; America's Health Insurance Plans, the SEIU, and the Greater New York Hospital Association and the California Hospital Association will make what White House officials and industry insiders describe as a major announcement on the health care reform front. The coalition of somewhat strange-bedfellows, comprising some of the sharpest opponents of reform in the past, is targeting specific administrative changes to drastically reduce the rate of growth in health care spending. All told, the goal will be to reduce the money spent on health care by 1.5 percentage points each year over the next ten years. "We cannot continue down the same dangerous road we've been traveling for so many years, with costs that are out of control, because reform is not a luxury that can be postponed, but a necessity that cannot wait," President Obama will say, according to excerpts of his remarks released in advance by the White House. On a Sunday conference call, senior administration officials hailed the effort as "a game changer" in the health care debate. "I don't think there can be a more significant step to helping struggling families and to help the federal budget," said one aide. "It just makes it even clearer than ever that health reform is going to happen this year in the Congress," added another. The effort, which those familiar with the plan say will aim for greater care coordination, lower administrative costs and the bundling of payments among health care providers and recipients, could result in a three percent reduction of gross domestic product by the year 2019. That year alone, the industry could save $700 billion. On a more personal level, White House aides project that after five years a family of four could be saving $2,500 a year. There are, however, many questions left unanswered about how such a system could work. The effort, details of which will be offered on Monday, does not contain an obvious enforcement mechanism or penalty for groups that do not follow through on their promises. On Sunday's call, White House aides downplayed this absence, saying that a "personal commitment to the President of the United States" carries significant weight and offering up the press as a watchdog. "A big enforcement mechanism is going to be, frankly, all of you," said a senior official. "Because to make a public commitment and then not make good on it is something that, I think, none of these groups will want to go through." Several health care reform advocates, in subsequent conversations with the Huffington Post, said that without a tool to "regulate the insurance companies" the plan sounded a "bit naive." Lowering administrative costs, they added, was a noble objective that made political and economic sense. "But there is a reason none of these groups have done this already." Pressed on this matter, White House aides stressed that the current climate is creating a new set of demands, one which would compel these groups to follow through on their word. "I think they want to be on board with the President," said one of the senior officials. "They recognize, as they put it to me, that everybody must share responsibility as we reform the health care system. And they want to get everybody covered." If, in fact, the collaborative effort is seen to its conclusion, the results could be enormous, the official added. Simply streamlining the payments process and care efforts in the Medicare program could save a projected $20 billion. Implementing such reforms over the private market would mean "virtually eliminat[ing] the nation's long-term fiscal gap." In short, industry costs would still be rising but by far less. "The popular discussion that's [taken up] most of the time about our long-term fiscal problem has focused on Social Security and other related topics," said the senior White House official. "While those are important, this by an order of magnitude is far more important to the fiscal trajectory that we're on, especially over the long term, than anything else that could be done." How such an effort came into being was another source of intrigue for reporters on the Sunday call. White House aides would say only that SEIU's Healthcare Chair Dennis Rivera was the first to propose bringing together the stakeholders in the health care industry to figure out ways to cut the fat from the system. It was also acknowledged that Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, had a similar idea at the President's health care summit in early March. That occasional health care reform foes could come together is a reflection of just how influential and wide-reaching the industry crisis has become. It also underscores just how tenuous a larger reform effort could be. White House officials insisted that no deals - specifically on whether to include a public plan for health insurance coverage - were offered in order to get these groups together. They also stressed that if these efforts at eliminating administrative costs were to be successful it would require broader reforms of the overall system. "Many of the steps that they may need to take would be dependent on getting health care reform done," said a senior aide. "If we change the financial incentives facing providers under Medicare and Medicaid that could also help to drive changes in the private market." More on Barack Obama
 
Obama More Popular Than U.S. Among Arabs: Survey Top
President Barack Obama's popularity in leading Arab countries far outstrips that of the United States, suggesting he could be able to boost goodwill in the region toward his country, a survey showed on Sunday.
 
Kim Bensen: Motherhood and Guilt ... Top
Believe it or not ... GUILT WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT! As a mom of four children every May brings with it whispers and secrets of home-made hidden treasures. There's nothing like breakfast in bed made by sticky little hands ... even if it is way too many calories! But for many years I fought the motherhood guilt that so many are familiar with. The feeling that comes when you know you've given unhealthy habits to your children. "But I can't even help myself, how can I possibly help them?" you ask. Those are the emotions that drive us straight to the cookie jar! I suffered for many years with this vicious cycle. But even though I gave my older ones some terrible habits (sorry guys), I've also shown them that it is possible to turn your life around. Even at the "ripe old age" of 40! My goal as a mom these days is to give my kids all the tools I can to help them live a healthy lifestyle. The worst thing we can do as parents is to think that because are kids are thin or active or young, high fat foods won't harm them. But done in excess or frequency, these habits can last a lifetime. What better gift can we give our kids than showing them that healthier ordering at the drive through consists of a fruit parfait or apple dippers to go with their single burgers rather than supersized meals with fries?! The truth is, they won't be young or skinny or active forever. Helping our kids participate in, understand and take ownership of their own good health at age appropriate levels is one of our jobs as parents. And working on ourselves ... showing them that even though we have something that is so difficult for us to overcome, we will NOT give up, showing them that we care about our own bodies and we CAN succeed against this monster of obesity, well, that is the best gift we can give them of all. This Mother's Day, remember ... focusing on yourself, taking time for YOU, will not only benefit your own good health, but can trickle down for generations to come. More on Mother's Day
 
Tom Doctoroff: How Marketers Can Win During China's "Recession" Top
The underlying drivers of the recession are different in China -- by global standards, growth remains robust here but the slowdown is pronounced -- versus Western countries. In the latter, times are toughest for low-end workers and entrepreneurs who have been hit by the slowdown of export industries. While aggregate savings rates in the PRC remain high - there is much cash stashed away under mattresses and in low-yielding bank accounts - confidence has been hit due to fear of losing a job sometime in the future. Consumers are looking right, then left, surveying the landscape for clues of when it will be safe again to wade back into the water. In the former, investors and home owners have been hit hardest due to a heavily indebted economic infrastructure and a steep drop in stock and home asset values. Economic arteries have dried up due to lack of cash and capital availability. In other words, in the PRC, most penders -- save migrant workers employed in the export sector -- are held back by anxiety, not means. In the West, we have a liquidity and cash flow problem. Although barriers to recovery are different, the net outcome is the same: there are too many products chasing too little money. In the Middle Kingdom, consumers, unaccustomed to this macro-economic tsunami, are (quickly, admirably) reorienting themselves to confront a new ear of global uncertainty, despite faith in China's productive potential and central government stewardship. (Middle class confidence could be returning, however, given the surprising pick up in auto sales recorded in the past couple months.) Unfettered optimism, even boldness, has given way to mere cautious optimism and, for this generation, spending conservatism. In this environment, one that has only been exacerbated the PRC's historic production overcapacity and the lack of a reliable safety net, go-go consumers have segued from a "surging" to a "dwelling" modality. Relatively speaking, they are less forward looking and more focused on stabilizing the here and now. Middle Class Projection Becomes Mass Market Protection The Chinese have always been split between "projecting" status as a means of forward momentum in life and "protecting" existing wealth, between spending to impress and saving to ensure future stability. More specifically, the urban mass market, not having benefited as directly from economic reform, has always been conservative, less sure of material stability, fear-based. The middle class, on the other hand, has traditionally preferred "transformative" benefits, promises of professional or societal advancement. During this recession, optimism has temporarily softened. Trenchant ambition, at least for the time being, has been deferred. (Again, it will be back.) Job hoppers have been stopped in their tracks. The protective impulse, usually a dominant mass market and secondary middle class trait, has reasserted itself across all levels of society. Until long-term confidence is restored, the upscale set will become more like its poorer counterpart. Marketers must recognize this shift and adjust message and promotion strategy. Products must be positioned to reflect a new conservative reality, without conveying a frozen-in-the-bunker fearfulness. Middle-class advertising should be "massified," while avoiding down-market tone and manner. Establishing a New Price-Value Equation So how is this done? No matter what, shoppers, regardless of whether they are psychologically gun shy or genuinely penny-pinched, require a reconfigured price-value equation. It is critical to manage the hat trick of reinforcing affordability without adulterating a brand's underlying equities - i.e., the emotional or functional associations built up over time that command a long-term price premium. Given this imperative, brands should reconsider not only their competitive advantages vis-à-vis competitors but assumptions regarding a product or brand's "role in life." Here are seven suggestions on how to do this. Shift from style to substance. Brands, particularly in high-end categories, should highlight "inner substance." Rolex, for example, should move from abstract "status" or even "pursuit of perfection" claims to "permission to believe" rooted in a core functional message such as craftsmanship or precision. Nike must ensure its "just do it" spirit is grounded in sports authenticity. In China, Rejoice advertising now highlights "viscosity" to cue more nutrition and, therefore, more value. China Mobile is now refocusing on "superior coverage" rather than an conceptual "reach out and touch someone" rallying cry. And Smart car's advertising elegantly fuses "coolness" with intelligent fuel efficiency. (In the United States, Hyundai's Genesis has moved from sizzle to steak with marketing activities that focus on head-to-head price comparison versus other luxury sedans - i.e., 30% less than a BWM. During the recession's January trough, Hyundai was one of the only high-end name plates to register a notable increase in share. This approach would do gangbusters in China.) Turn from "selling" to "helping." Face-conscious Chinese do not like to beg for low prices. But, now more than ever, they remain fiercely price conscious. Therefore, "discounts" must be positioned as "bargains," the fruit of clever resourcefulness, one of the most admired - and adaptive -- behavioral characteristics in Confucian society. Nanfu battery encourages users not to throw away old batteries and reuse them for less intensive applications. Crest advertising demonstrates how its tubes are packed with more toothpaste than competitors. Zhong Gong white spirits adopts a no-frills angle by selling wine without an expensive outer carton because "intelligent drinkers know they should pay for pleasure, not packaging." The internet, a medium that makes comparison pricing exponentially easier, can be very useful in enhancing consumers' bargaining power. Fast food marketers such as McDonald's offer online-only "super value" gift coupons and links to value products Taobao, China's leading auction site. Liba.com, a marriage and home improvement site, helps aggregate the collective buying power of individual customers to negotiate better deals through collective bargaining. Visits are through the roof. Repurpose from "want" to "need." Elevation of brands onto "life impact" platforms enhance perceived value. Marketers can underscore essentiality in a couple ways, bearing in mind the omnipresent Chinese urge to succeed. First, focus on external payoffs rather than internal satisfaction or "release." In a back-to-basics environment, celebrating indulgence is risky. Concrete benefits conquer. Premium yogurt should focus on "delicious digestion that gets you going" rather than pure taste satisfaction. Snow, a leading Chinese beer with national distribution, promotes stress busting, easing anxiety associated with mortgages, car payments and work. Social lubrication, a common benefit during good times, is reinforced only through end-of-day group consumption shots. Ikea has shifted focus from aesthetic expression to the more utilitarian aspects of the product range. Broadcast advertising highlights affordability of smaller items, although not as the primary message. Second, advertising should dramatize the consequences of not using the brand. Panadol shows nasal discomfort disrupting an audition, neatly linking the product with career advancement. Tempo tissue, a leading player in price-sensitive category, underscores the danger of not carrying a pack by associating sneezing with social embarrassment. With "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" plucking in the background, Lipton tea draws attention to the advantages of mood enhancement during office hours. Wang Lao Ji, a leading local soft drink, steers clear of "everyday joy" Coke territory by highlighting elimination of inner heat during "minutes that matter." Refocus the portfolio. Multinational products have historically been priced too high to penetrate price-conscious consumer segments, rending most foreign brands "aspirational" but "inaccessible." In the past few years, however, many MNCs have "extended brands downward" to lower price tiers, increasing total share dramatically. Both Crest and Colgate, for example, have expensive "complete oral care" variants that generate single-digit share and lower cost-of-goods versions with higher sales and lower cost. During recessions, wary shoppers need to justify any premium and will gravitate to affordable options. Therefore, all companies should examine the depth and breadth of their portfolios to ensure maximum coverage across economic strata. Importantly, however, care should be taken to avoid degradation of brand equity; to avoid "trade-down humiliation," benefits should be "simplified" - e.g., "complete oral care" versus "stronger teeth" or "herbal freshness" - rather than debased Furthermore, payoffs should shift from "projective" (status, professional advancement, wealth) to more "protective" (financial security, safety, prevention) without conveying any hint of fearful immobilization. (Chinese, unless physical survival is in question, want to progress up the hierarchy. The "urge to surge" is irrepressible.) Reinforce corporate trust. In uncertain times, corporate trust is an invaluable asset as consumers flock towards safety. In China, the government, particularly the central government, is trusted much more than business (79% versus 54%, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer), particularly after the 2008 melamine dairy mega-scandal. (This debacle, in which thousands of infants developed kidney stones, was due to a combination of corruption and lax manufacturing standards.) First, companies can reinforce the "reliability" of their product by highlighting corporate scale. In China, bigger is always better. Benevolence is the privilege of power. Companies must perceived to be "big enough to care." China Mobile, for example, has begun airing old copy that highlights coverage. A voice over intones, "During critical moments, when precious life is at stake, lean on the world's most extensive network." Bank of China deftly leverages its "ubiquity" - i.e., "almost a branch on every corner" to reinforce "life-long partnership, through good times and bad." Second, and related, efforts must be made to demonstrate sufficient means to invest in consumers' well-being. Cisco's on- and off-line "Help the Children" campaign and Johnson & Johnson's small-town network of neo-natal and pediatric clinics reassure, not to mention inspire, Chinese masses. Bring the family back together. In Confucian society, the clan, not the individual, is the basic unit of society and ultimate bulwark against instability. This is particularly true during economic trial so family cohesion is a critical in buttressing peace of mind. Products that forge domestic harmony will be embraced. Ajinomoto, a Japanese food manufacturer that sells seasoning in China, now positions its spices as a "family magnet" that draws loved ones together. The company has moved away from its quintessentially-Japanese "taste of refinement." Gold Wine has adopted a "gifting" strategy, encouraging robust ties between extended family members. Even China Mobile has changed the focus of its businessman-targeted "Go Tone" sub-brand from "weapon on the business battlefield" to long-distance bonding with kids. Promote confidence. The Chinese really do see "opportunity in crisis." The PRC's strength relative to developed nations' during the Great Recession - growth rates will not drop below 6% largely due to massive government investment in social welfare and infrastructure - further predisposes a look toward the bright side. While the benefits of such a broad emotive approach are difficult to link with sales, brands should encourage a chin up mentality to reinforce long-term equity. Anta sports shoe's "from perseverance to glory" proposition, originally launched after 2008's Sichuan earthquake and anti-Tibet protests, continues to strengthen "bonding." Diaopai, China's leading local detergent gracefully fuses empathy for the unemployed with hope while, at the same time, incorporating a "more washes for less money" claim. In Conclusion China's recessionary environment has yielded a new conservatism that will not dissipate until vigorous growth is restored. Marketers should adopt a "back to basics" approach, maximizing any product's role in stability and protection against uncertainty while avoiding pessimistic overtones. Specifically, they should: a) shift from style to inner-substance, b) pivot from selling to helping, particularly by present discounts as the fruit of smart shopping, c) repurpose from satisfying wants to addressing needs, d) refocus the portfolio to emphasize affordable options, albeit without debasing a premium image, e) strengthen corporate trust, f) bring the family back together and g) promote confidence in a better tomorrow. More on China
 
Subhash Ghimire: Nepalese Prime Minister Resigns, Country Plunges Deeper Into Political Crisis Top
A month long Maoists-army standoff came to an end on Monday when the Nepalese government fired army general Rookmangud Katuwal. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka Prachanda) resigned as two major coalition parties, United Marxists and Leninists (UML), and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) withdrew from the government and the ceremonial President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated the army general. The fresh crisis is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the Himalayan nation since the peace process began in 2006. Nepal now slides into an uncertain future. Maoists and UML deemed the president's move to intervene in state affairs unconstitutional. Nepal's interim constitution in 2007 states that the president is ceremonial and is a titular head of the Nepalese army. Prime Minister Prachanda, in his address to the nation, stated that "there is an urgent need for ending the dual regime created through unconstitutional measures." Prachanda said that the supremacy of people must prevail and the army must be under the control of the government, not the president. Immediately after prime minister's resignation, Maoists filed a case against the president's move in the Supreme Court and decided to launch nationwide protests to pressure the president to withdraw his decision and sack General Katuwal. Moreover, Maoists are also planning on bringing a motion in the parliament to impeach the president. Even the civil society has condemned the president's move as unconstitutional and vowed to take the fight in the street. President Yadav issued a statement defending his move as a temporary provision to avert crisis in the country. The crisis comes at a time when the country is in the process of writing a new constitution. The Maoists see chief of army (COA) Rookmangud Katuwal as an aspiring autocrat clinging to the last vestiges of a dead-old monarchial system. His first crime was to defy the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)'s mandate not to recruit new soldiers, which also goes against the 12-point peace agreement signed by the political parties back in 2006. Prime Minister Prachanda argued that when an institution within the government fails to submit itself to the rules agreed upon they ought to be punished. The interim constitution specifically mentions that the army is under the control of the democratically elected government. Thus their mobilization solely rests on the government. The army withdrew from the national games, held last month in Kathmandu, without the order from the government. They do not have the power and right to act on their own. It appears that our military is acting as a very different sovereign institution with its own power and mandate. Having been subjected to the King's whimsical orders and wishes, the COA finds it hard to comprehend with the government which was elected with overwhelming majority. The political system has changed but the old guards disguising in new fashion carry the age-old superior complex that has dogged our ruling elites for ages. The government saw the army challenging the authority and the power of the sovereignty of the people. The army's decision to disregard the government orders was a challenge to the new Republic state. When such situations arise then it is the right time for government to pull the strings and take control of the state of affairs. Many saw government's as a way to set up a precedent so that nobody will, in the future, act above the law. Nepal's crisis seems to have troubled Delhi. The Indian media reports were blaming their government for inaction. India Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood has, for the last few days, has been pressuring the Nepali government to not to sack the army general. Prachanda in his address to the nation said, "I will quit government rather than remain in power by bowing down to the foreign elements and reactionary forces." Prachanda's move was a thumping on India's constant meddling on Nepal's internal affairs. India has been wary of Nepal's Maoists unusual coziness with Beijing. Delhi was not happy when then Prime Minister Prachanda was in China, as his first foreign visit since assuming power, for the closing ceremony of the Olympics games. Historically, Nepalese Prime Ministers have been visiting India as the first official abroad tour. Meanwhile, the political parties minus the Maoists have started the consultations to form a new government. UML, the party that was badly defeated in April 2008 elections, has showed eagerness to lead the new government. Nepali Congress, the second largest party in the parliament, is supporting the UML in the process. But many speculate if the coalition government can function without the support of the Maoists, which won the majority of seats in the elections. Moreover, Nepalese people fear that the country might slide into civil war. More than 19,000 Maoists soldiers have been placed in cantonments in different parts of the country under the supervision of UNMIN. The guerilla soldiers have threatened to walk out from the camp and be ready for war, if necessary. Baburam Bhattarai, the senior Maoists leader, said that the president's action was a constitutional coup derailing the peace process. The Maoists have been accusing general Katuwal as the last vestiges of the monarchial regime who was adamantly opposed to integrating Maoists guerillas into Nepal Army. Katuwal argued that politically indoctrinated soldiers cannot remain under the strict regulations and would bring about political divisiveness in the army. The lawlessness, rampant violence, and stagnant economy have crippled the lives of ordinary citizens for the last decade. After the historic transformation of our political system the institutions within its sphere were expected to abide by the changes and behave accordingly. To everyone's dismay, leaders did not feel the need to do so. Nepal has once again been a leaderless nation. With nationwide protests and strikes called upon by the Maoists it is hard to speculate the political developments in the country. Keep in touch with Huffington Post World on Facebook and Twitter . More on Asia
 
Orangutan Escape: Short-Circuits Wires, Builds Ladder To Flee Zoo In Adelaide (VIDEO) Top
Karta, a 27-year-old orangutan short-circuited electrical wires and built a make-shift ladder to climb a fence in an escape attempt at Australia's Adelaide Zoo on Mother's Day, causing the zoo's evacuation on one of its busiest days. The Independent reports: Karta, a 27-year-old female, jammed a stick into wires connected to the barrier, then piled up shrubs, roots and debris to create a platform. Using it as a stepladder, she climbed up onto the concrete and glass wall surrounding her enclosure, where she was spotted by a member of the public who raised the alarm. WATCH THE VIDEO: After escaping its enclosure but not quite making it out to the public, fifteen zoo employees responded and returned Karta. The zoo's curator Peter Whitehead told the Daily Telegraph of Australia : "She's always been a bit mischievous. She likes being a bit inquisitive," she said. "Their nature is they will work on things and she just enjoys building things, unfortunately on the wrong day and in the wrong area."
 

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